The 2013 ESPYS Countdown Show to Cover Red Carpet Arrivals, Interviews and Morecontact: Jennifer.J.Cingari@espn.comCoverage of The 2013 ESPYS will begin with The 2013 ESPYS Countdown Show presented by Capital One live from the red carpet from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. The countdown show, in its fourth year, will bring fans close to the action leading up to The ESPYS as presenters, nominees, celebrities and athletes arrive for the highly anticipated award show. Following the red carpet show, The 2013 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will betelevised live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The ESPYS media kit can be found here.

The countdown show will be hosted by ESPN’s Hannah Storm, with updates from First Take’s Cari Champion on the red carpet outside Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Various ESPN studio shows will be set up along the red carpet, conducting live interviews as attendees arrive. Highlights of The 2013 ESPYS Countdown Show presented by Capital One include:

Host Hannah Storm with live updates from Cari Champion on the red carpet

Multiple winners will be announced and awards handed out during the countdown show including “Best NFL Player,” “Best NBA Player” and “Best Championship Performance.” The show will be fast-paced with numerous cameras to keep up with all the action, including the Vizio Fly Cam and a new Virtual Reality element.

The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2013 ESPYS marks the show’s 21st telecast and will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners — nominees from different sports pitted against each other, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete.” The ESPYS honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYS in 1993.

ESPN Radio Continues 9th Annual “Don’t Give Up ESPYS V Foundation Auction”contact: amanda.decastro@espn.comThe ninth annual ESPN Radio “Don’t Give Up ESPYS V Foundation Auction” continues on air and online through Wednesday, July 17. The auction features hundreds of items and experiences for bid to raise money and awareness for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The fundraiser has raised more than $5.7 million over the first eight years of the fundraiser.

A majority of the nearly 200 experiences and items in the auction are available online via www.espnradio.com or ebay.com while 18 fan “experiences” will be auctioned live on air across ESPN Radio’s national shows on July 17, from 6 a.m. – midnight (9 p.m. PT). Listeners can call 1-800-4JimmyV or log onto www.jimmyv.org to both donate and bid on items and experiences in the radio-thon, with the highest bidder at 59 minutes past each hour winning the experience. For complete details, click here.

Open Championship Begins Thursday in Scotlandcontact: andy.hall@espn.comESPN will air live, four-round coverage of the 142nd renewal of golf’s oldest major, The Open Championship, July 18-21, played for the 16th time at Scotland’s Muirfield Golf Links. In addition to more than 65 total hours on television, which includes live play and encore presentations, ESPN also will have live radio broadcasts and extensive digital offerings. ESPN will have 11 scheduled hours of live play from each of the first two rounds Thursday and Friday, July 18-19, from 4 a.m. – 3 p.m. The third round Saturday, July 20, will air live from 7 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. with the final round Sunday, July 21, airing live from 6 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Full details HERE.

The live schedule:

Date

Time (ET)

Round

Platform

Thu, Jul 18

4 a.m.

First Round

ESPN

7 a.m.

First Round

ESPN Radio

Fri, Jul 19

4 a.m.

Second Round

ESPN

7 a.m.

Second Round

ESPN Radio

Sat, Jul 20

7 a.m.

Third Round

ESPN

9 a.m.

Third Round

ESPN Radio

Sun, Jul 21

6 a.m.

Final Round

ESPN

8 a.m.

Final Round

ESPN Radio

Rickie Fowler Stars in New This isSportsCenter Spotcontact: analivia.c.coelho@espn.comJust in time for The Open Championship, PGA Tour stalwart and Oklahoma State University alum Rickie Fowler visits ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters in his signature tournament Sunday attire for the latest This isSportsCenter spot, “Decaf.” The ad, debuting today, features the stylish golfer fixing himself a non-traditional cup of coffee while SportsCenter host John Anderson looks on, quizzically.

For 18 years, This is SportsCenter has given fans and viewers an inside peek at the Bristol campus with a humorous spin on day-to-day life at ESPN. The network has produced more than 400 advertising spots in this award-winning, signature franchise, in collaboration with Wieden + Kennedy.

Nine for IX: Let Them Wear Towels Premieres July 16contact: Jennifer.J.Cingari@espn.comThe ESPN Films and espnW Nine for IX documentary series continues Tuesday, July 16, with the premiere of Let Them Wear Towels at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The film, directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Sterm, is a history and examination of female sports reporters working in the world of male locker rooms. Let Them Wear Towels will recap the public fight for equal access for female sports reporters to the inner sanctum of the men’s locker room through interviews with such pioneer women as Melissa Ludtke, Claire Smith, Lesley Visser and Christine Brennan.

Inspired by the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the Nine for IX series will air over nine consecutive Tuesdays on ESPN at 8 p.m. on ESPN in July and August. Nine for IX Media Kit

espnW: Robin Roberts Goes In the Game with Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and Nine for IX Continuescontact: amanda.decastro@espn.com
The second season of espnW’s In the Game with Robin Robertscontinues Thursday, July 18, at 11 am with an intimate interview with one of the most decorated players in women’s basketball, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. ESPN Films and espnW documentary series, Nine for IX continues Tuesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. on ESPN, with Let Them Wear Towels, highlighting the national debate about women in men’s locker rooms – espnW offers an exclusive preview clip.

MLB All-Star Game on ESPN Radio; First-Place Boston Red Sox to Host Rival New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseballcontacts: ben.cafardo@espn.com; kristen.m.hudak@espn.comOn Tuesday, ESPN Radio will serve as the exclusive, national radio home for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game at 8 p.m. with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton will describe the action with host Marc Kestecher and reporters Peter Pascarelli and Tim Kurkjian. The All-Star game will also be available on ESPN Deportes Radio with Jose Francisco Rivera, Renato Bermudez and Eduardo Ortega providing commentary. SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight will be on site at Citi Field with updates from Karl Ravech, Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, Curt Schilling, Tim Kurkjian and Buster Olney throughout the day.

WNBA: Taurasi Lead Phoenix Mercury at Red-Hot Los Angeles Sparkscontact: rachel.l.margolis@espn.comThe hottest team in the WNBA — the Los Angeles Sparks, led by Candace Parker — will host Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, July 18, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2. The winner of five straight games, the Sparks are in second place in the West Conference standings with a 10-4 overall, and face the Atlanta Dream, which is in first place in the East Conference, on Wednesday night. The Mercury are sitting 3.5 games behind first place, currently third in the standings with an 8-7 overall record.

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Chicago on ESPNcontact: andy.hall@espn.comThe NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., on Sunday, July 21, and ESPN will have a live telecast of the 300-mile race. NASCAR Countdown airs at 2:30 p.m. with the green flag at 3:17 p.m. Also from Chicagoland, ESPN2 will air qualifying at 11 a.m. Anchor Allen Bestwick and analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will call the race.

ESPN Launches “Race to the Chase” Brand Campaign, with “Burnout” Spot Debuting Todaycontact: andy.hall@espn.com, analivia.c.coelho@espn.comWith ESPN’s coverage of the final 17 races of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starting July 28 at the Brickyard 400, the network is launching a brand campaign to promote the race and build anticipation for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The first spot, “Burnout,” debuts today on ESPN as well as on social media.

The 30-second ad, produced in collaboration with creative agency Wieden + Kennedy New York, emphasizes the NASCAR legacy each champion aims to build, with the tagline “43 Drivers. 12 Spots. 1 Champion.” It showcases a victory burnout, with glimpses of cars belonging to some of the greatest racers in history, including Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon,Bill Elliott and Jimmie Johnson.

NHRA Begins Western Swing in Denvercontact: andy.hall@espn.comThe NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series begins its annual three-race Western Swing with the Mopar Mile High NHRA Nationals this weekend, and drag racing fans can watch qualifying and eliminations on both ESPN2 and ESPN3. Dave Rieff and analyst Mike Dunn will be in the booth. The schedule:

Date

Time

Event

Network

Fri, Jul 19

9:15 p.m.

Qualifying (live)

ESPN3, WatchESPN

Sat, Jul 20

10 p.m.

Qualifying

ESPN2, WatchESPN

Sun, Jul 21

1 p.m.

Eliminations (live)

ESPN3, WatchESPN

6 p.m.

Eliminations

ESPN2, WatchESPN

NFL Analyst Jeff Saturday and ESPN Insiders Contributor Billy Devaney Debut This Weekcontact: Allison.R.Stoneberg@espn.comTwo of the most recent additions to ESPN’s NFL team, analyst Jeff Saturday and contributor Billy Devaney, debut on ESPN shows this week. Saturday, a Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowl center, makes his first appearance Wednesday on SportsCenter (1 p.m.) and NFL Live (4 p.m.), the first of three days on air (July 17-19). Devaney, the former St. Louis Rams general manager who will be a regular contributor to the upcoming ESPN Insiders (debuting Aug. 5), will offer analysis on SportsCenter and NFL Live today and Tuesday.

RecruitingNation to Release ESPN Junior 300 High School Football Rankings Tomorrowcontacts: gracie.blackburn@espn.com or kristie.chong@espn.comOn Tuesday, July 16, ESPN RecruitingNation will debut the ESPN Junior 300 – a ranking of 300 elite college football prospects in the Class of 2015 – on ESPN.com. Following the evolution of the recruiting cycle beginning in prospects’ high school careers, the ESPN Junior 300 will give fans insight and context into their schools’ futures. The rankings will be available on overall talent as well as by position, region and state. ESPN RecruitingNation’s rankings are powered by scouts with decades in the business, and each member of the ESPN Junior 300 will have a detailed evaluation.

The rankings will debut with a defensive end in the no. 1 position – Jashon Cornell (Cretin Derham/Saint Paul, Minn.) – following in the footsteps of former ESPN 300 top recruits Jadeveon Clowney (2011), Mario Edwards (2012) and Robert Nkemdiche (2013).